Śrīdhara Pandita (Kholāvecā Śrīdhara) disappearance day

Identity in the spiritual world

kholāvecatayā khyātaḥ paṇḍitaḥ śrīdharo dvijaḥ

āsīd vraje hāsya-kārī yo nāmnā kusumāsavaḥ

“The cowherd boy named Kusumāsavaḥ who joked with Lord Kṛṣṇa in Vraja, appeared in Lord Caitanya’s pastime as a learned Brāhmaṇa named as Kholāvecā Śrīdhara Paṇḍita.” [Gaura-gaṇoddeśa-dīpikā 133]

Śrīdhara, a very dear servant of the Lord

Excerpt from The Nectar of Devotion, Chapter 1 and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 5.19.7

There was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya known as Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, who was a very poor man. He was doing a small business selling cups made from the leaves of plantain trees, and his income was almost nothing. Still, he was spending fifty percent of his small income on the worship of the Ganges, and with the other fifty percent he was somehow living. Lord Caitanya once revealed Himself to this confidential devotee, Kholāvecā Śrīdhara, and offered him any opulence he liked. But Śrīdhara informed the Lord that he did not want any material opulence. He was quite happy in his present position and wanted only to gain unflinching faith and devotion unto the lotus feet of Lord Caitanya. That is the position of pure devotees. If they can be engaged twenty-four hours each day in devotional service, they do not want anything else, not even the happiness of liberation or of becoming one with the Supreme.

In the Caitanya-bhāgavata [Madhya khaṇḍa23.492 - 493] it is said:

kholāvecā sevakera dekha bhāgya-sīmā

brahmā śiva kāṅde yāra dekhiyā mahimā

dhane jane pāṇḍitye kṛṣṇa nāhi pāi

kevala bhaktira vaśa caitanya-gosāñi

“Behold the great fortune of the devotee Kholāvecā. Lord Brahmā and Śiva shed tears upon seeing his greatness. One cannot attain Lord Kṛṣṇa by any amount of wealth, followers, or learning. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is controlled only by pure devotion.” Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu had a very sincere devotee whose name was Kholāvecā Śrīdhara and whose only business was to sell pots made of the skin of banana trees. Whatever income he had, he used fifty percent for the worship of mother Ganges, and with the other fifty percent he provided for his necessities. On the whole, he was so very poor that he lived in a cottage that had a broken roof with many holes in it. He could not afford brass utensils, and therefore he drank water from an iron pot. Nevertheless, he was a great devotee of Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. He is a typical example of how a poor man with no material possessions can become a most exalted devotee of the Lord. The conclusion is that one cannot attain shelter at the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa or Śrī Caitanya Gosāñi through material opulence; that shelter is attainable only by pure devotional service.

Lessons from the life of Kholāvecā Śrīdhara

1. Ideal use of income: Śrīdhara’s example shows the principle of balanced earning and spiritual contribution. Even with a tiny income, he prioritized giving for spiritual purposes, which reveals the heart of a true devotee.

2. Pure devotion attracts the Lord: Kholāvecā Śrīdhara was not a scholar, rich man, or social leader. Yet the Supreme Lord, Caitanya Mahāprabhu, came to him personally and offered him anything. This teaches that pure, unmotivated devotion (śuddha-bhakti) is more valuable than any worldly qualification.